


The Better Man

by MoonCat163



Category: Loki Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Fluff, Rivalry, Secret Crush, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tumblr: imagine-loki, someone really likes Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26637250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat163/pseuds/MoonCat163
Summary: Imagine that you want to pursue Loki, but have no idea what to do to make him see you as more than a friend. Thor inadvertently finds you looking at Loki from a distance with lovestruck eyes. He decides to get himself involved in helping you pursue Loki. Hijinks ensue.Possible situation: Loki notices that you and Thor are spending more time together, and feels somewhat left out/suspicious that you and Thor are in a relationship.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 125





	The Better Man

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt from the Imagine-Loki tumblr
> 
> NOTES/WARNINGS: none really, brief mention of fighting, one curse word (I know, scandalous, right?)

When Loki breezed by you in the hallway on his way to the kitchen, you couldn’t help but turn to watch him for a moment. The scent of the subtle cologne he wore caused you to take several deep breaths, just so you could commit it to memory. You resisted the urge to close your eyes, though, but when the smell dissipated, you sighed and started toward your original destination, which was your own apartment. Once there, you’d probably take a moment to compose yourself before leaving again. 

When you did face forward, you were startled to find Thor standing a few feet away, silently watching. You couldn’t stop your face heating up in embarrassment, and you dearly hoped that he hadn’t seen you mooning over his brother. 

“Hi, Thor,” you greeted him softly, mentally begging him not to say anything to you, or more importantly, to Loki. 

“Good morning,” he replied, smiling at you. “Were you coming to breakfast?”

“Yes, I just needed to take care of something really quick. I’ll be right there.”

“Good. I’ll save you a seat.” He nodded slightly before continuing on his way. 

Ten minutes later, you returned to the kitchen to find that Thor had indeed saved you a seat, right beside him and opposite Loki. You usually sat on the same side as Loki, with someone between you so that you weren’t tempted to steal glances at him, and so that he wouldn’t be witness to any clumsiness on your part if he were to look your way. 

Thor stood to hold the chair for you, and then helped to slide it forward. He’d never done that before, since meals together were always pretty casual, and you wondered why he did it now. He made a show of serving your plate as food was passed around, and would lean over to say something in your ear, making sure that no one heard him. All the while, the heat never left your cheeks. You also noted that Loki would give you two just the barest of glances. When his eyes landed on Thor, they hardened before he turned his attention to his plate. 

From then on, Thor made a point to be near you when in the common rooms, or even during missions, which everyone noticed. After a time, your embarrassment eased because Thor was simply too likable and approachable, like a big ol’ puppy. The only person who _could_ stay angry at him was Loki, who made it a fine art. 

— — —

Today, about a week after Thor had caught you ogling Loki, you had made banana nut muffins, and they were just out of the oven. You were just taking them out of the pan when Thor sat at the breakfast bar to watch. 

When you had time and the ingredients, you loved to bake and would often have cakes, pies or even homemade bread. Once, you’d made a banana pudding, which Steve and Bucky went nuts over simply because it reminded them of their younger days. You’d learned then to double up on most of the baked goods, because a shortage caused good natured elbowing between them. 

“What kind of glorious treat do you have for us now?” He asked, his gaze intent on the muffins. 

“Banana nut muffins,” you replied, putting one on a napkin in front of him. “It’s still hot, be careful.”

— — 

The smell of the muffins caught Loki’s attention when he stepped off the elevator after he returned from the training room. He started toward the kitchen, but paused when he heard you and Thor speaking. No one else was there, so he was certain that Thor was looking at you with doe eyes, and going overboard with the chivalry. 

That thought caused him to scowl for a moment before he schooled his features so that his face wouldn’t give away his churning thoughts. He hated it when Thor found a new love interest because Thor would always extol about said interest’s charms, and about how clever they were, or even other things that were simply TMI. 

When they were younger, there was a rivalry between them, causing them to try to steal the other’s current interest. He liked you too much to play that type of game. He also didn’t want to hear anything about you from Thor’s lips, because now he was resigned to watch from the sidelines, and try to bear it now that Thor had shown an interest in you. 

When Loki walked into the kitchen, you were leaning forward on your elbows, with your face mere inches from Thor’s. Loki just barely managed not to growl when he walked through to get bottled water. He was gone in the few seconds it took for you to turn, muffins in hand, to offer him one. Only Thor noticed that your shoulders dropped slightly, and he averted his gaze when you turned around again. 

“You like him, don’t you?” He asked, while selecting another muffin. He’d nearly eaten them all by now, and you hoped that they were gone before Steve or Bucky returned, or that he’d save some for the others, which seemed unlikely.

“Wh-what?” You asked, surprised and wary of the question. 

“I’ve seen you watching him,” he replied, his gaze never leaving your face. 

“You’re mistaken,” you responded, while taking the pan to the sink in order to wash it. 

“I don’t think so.”

His voice came from directly behind you, and when you jumped and turned around, you collided with his broad chest. He quickly caught you by the elbows to keep you from hitting the floor. 

“Sorry about that,” he said, but didn’t let you go. 

“For a big guy, you sure are quiet,” you told him, as you looked up, your eyes meeting his while he continued to hold onto you. 

That prompted him to wink and squeeze your arms slightly. You stayed still, not wanting to hurt his feelings if you shrugged out of his grip. Thor then turned his head slightly, as if listening for something, before he picked you up effortlessly and set you on the countertop so that your eyes were level with his. 

You started to say something, but then Loki walked in again. He faltered before coming to a dead standstill. Once he gathered himself, he turned and left. Thor chuckled softly while you just dropped your head in dejection. 

“I will help you.” His hands rested on your shoulders for a moment before he rubbed your arms gently. 

“He’s not very tolerant of humans, and I’d rather just leave him alone,” you replied. 

“Loki says many things that he doesn’t mean,” Thor commented. “You shouldn’t take it to heart.”

You shook your head with a shrug and started to slide off the counter, but his hands on your knees stopped you. Before you fainted from the shock, he tilted your face upwards so that your gaze met his. 

“I believe he will come around, just follow my lead, hmmm?”

— — —

Three weeks later, Loki was almost ecstatic when a mission came up. He’d had to witness Thor showing you all kinds of attention, and was quite ready to blow stuff up, or get stabby with someone. His temper got the best of him, and almost everyone felt the sting of it. Except for you, he couldn’t bring himself to snap at you, so he limited his contact to avoid doing it. 

First, there was movie night, when his brother sat beside you (too closely in his opinion), and shared your popcorn bowl. Then, during an outing at a nightclub, hosted by Stark, he’d watched in silence when Thor guided you to the dance floor. He took a small amount of comfort in seeing that Thor struggled with the Midgardian dances, but the fact that his brother held you in his arms (again, _much_ too closely) nearly made him lose control. Finally, there were the flowers that Thor gave you, apparently not knowing that you were allergic. You had sneezed violently for several hours before the vase was “accidentally” knocked off the dining table and to the floor, where it broke. The flowers ended up in the garbage, and Loki felt much better after that. 

Now everyone was on the quinjet, with Thor inevitably beside you. For the most part, the trip was silent and allowed everyone to check their gear and to get their minds locked into what needed to be done. 

A Hydra facility had been found, which needed to be neutralized, and any data retrieved from the computers. That task fell to you and Natasha, so she handed you an encrypted thumb drive, which you carefully secured in a pocket. Together, you both poured over the map of the facility, plotting the quickest way in and out once you had what you’d been assigned to get. You’d take separate routes so that if one couldn’t get there, the other could get the data. 

— — 

Loki was to meet up with Steve in a tunnel close to the computer rooms, so he silently slipped past other rooms and entrance points, taking care not to make any noise. When he drew closer to the target, he heard fighting up ahead. He grew even more cautious as he moved toward the sounds. 

It only took a split second for him to recognize that you were fighting with a Hydra agent, and that two more of them were on the ground, quite still. You fought with a sharp dagger in each hand, and held your own against the larger man. As he watched, he thought that the way you moved, with conservative motions that saved your energy, was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. He had watched before while you trained, or even during other missions, but he’d never actually _seen_ you. Now, though, he was ready to toss Thor aside in order to take his place. 

You’d defeated your opponent, and now stood looking at the three men on the floor in order to make sure that they were out of commission. A movement in your peripheral caught your attention, and you turned quickly. 

“Loki! I’m—“ 

You were interrupted when he snaked an arm around your waist and lifted you off the floor. His lips found yours in a fierce kiss, surprising you by the move. After a moment, your arms slid over his shoulders as he pulled back to look into your eyes. 

“What was that for?“ you asked, breathlessly. 

“So that you will _forget_ my brother,” he growled.

You blinked before you kissed him back with an intensity that matched his. 

“Forget who?” You asked. 

“Minx,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

You couldn’t help but laugh, which drew a smile from him. 

“I suppose that I should give him the bad news,” you remarked. 

“The sooner the better,” Loki told you, firmly. 

“Have I ever told you just how hot you look in your armor?” You asked, deciding just to go for it. 

“No, I don’t believe so,” he replied, pretending to mull that over. 

Before you could respond to that, there came a reminder that there was a job to do. 

“Hey, you two, this is not the time nor place to play kissy face!” Tony’s voice came over the comm units. 

Loki rolled his eyes again before setting you on your feet. 

— —

After the facility had been secured and left in the hands of the support unit, the quinjet carried the team home. Before take off, Loki guided you to a seat, and sat down beside you. When Thor sat across the aisle, Loki put an arm around your shoulders in order to pull you closer, all the while staring at Thor, daring him to say or do something. 

When your head fell against his neck, Loki’s attention moved to you, and he found that you’d fallen asleep already. Thor still watched the two of you, with a slight smile on his face. 

“It seems that the better man has won,” Thor finally commented. 

_Damn straight,_ Loki thought. 


End file.
